Introduction

The largest police department in the state of New Mexico is the Albuquerque Police
Department, and recently has been scrutinized for the excessive force they have used against
citizens. Within the last few years, APD has been criticized for police shootings, aggressive
behavior, and excessive police force. Within the last 3 years, the Department of Justice has
intervened in policies for APD policing. Many citizens of Albuquerque are quick to judge the
police when they do something wrong, but arent as quick to celebrate them for doing something
brave. Police officers day in and day out are constantly putting their lives on the line where many
citizens would never consider doing a police job. This does not give police the right to mistreat
someone or get violent for no reason, but it does raise the question of what is too much force?
There have been some people that believe that officers do a lot to protect the city of Albuquerque
and that they shouldnt get in trouble or criticized for protecting themselves and their fellow
officers. Although many believe that the Albuquerque Police Department has shown aggression
against citizens of the city, others believe that the Albuquerque Police Department is justified in
the force that they use because of how they put their lives on the line, the high crime rate in
Albuquerque, and how these dangerous people could harm citizens if not controlled by the
police.
Cops risking their Lives:
Every day, police officers in Albuquerque protect their city and put their lives on the line.
A New Mexico law states that if police feel that their lives are at stake, that they are able to
protect themselves as a form of self-defense (The Right of Self-Defense in New Mexico).
Therefore, if officers feel that their lives are in danger or the lives of any other citizen, it is in

their legal right to neutralize a threat in which seems fit. This justifies the force that cops use;
may it be tasing, or even it comes down to it shooting a criminal.
In March 2014, Albuquerque Police Officer Keith Sandy was a police officer who shot
and killed James Boyd in a foothills shooting. In a statement from Sandys lawyer, the lawyer
stated that the officer was forced to make decisions to protect the city of Albuquerque as a part of
his job. The lawyer then went on to say that it was a shame that Sandy was facing murder
because of this decision. Along with a majority of officers, officer Sandy was never rewarded or
praised for the good things that he did to protect the citizens, but has got major publicity and
punishment for the bad decisions that citizens believed that he committed.
Many people say that the Albuquerques police department is violent. And some officers
might be. However, when you think of criminals who rob, rape, kill, and kidnap people, do you
think that they are nice and caring human beings? The police department has to show authority,
control, and power in order to maintain their ground if they wish to detain and control these types
of criminals. There has been controversy regarding how much force is necessarily when an
officer is detaining a criminal. However, the officers are allowed to intervene if the criminals
dont comply or listen. At an orange stage in the Police Use of Force, police officers are allowed
to use force, including battalions and Tasers, if they feel that a criminal is not complying,
listening, or communicating with officers. Once a suspect has a weapon or poses risk to the
officer or another person, known as a red stage, officers are allowed to proceed with deadly force
(Gillespie and Hart 74).
It isnt easy being a police officer. Many officers put their life on the line every day to
simply make the streets a better place to be. Many officers probably get anxious or scared for
their lives when danger arises. When arriving at the scene, officers rarely know the whole

situation. The people that run into the law might be dangerous, but some might not be. But when
police officers put themselves in a position that could potentially turn deadly, officers have to
respond in a way that protect themselves, their fellow officers, and citizens. Not only that, but
officers have families too and want to make sure they go home to them every night as well as
provide for them. They cant do that if they are dead. Therefore, it is justified that officers may
use violence and aggression when they feel in danger or at risk of harm (Krayewski).
Violence in Albuquerque
The rate of crime in Albuquerque is extremely high and some citizens believe that by
eliminating those violent offenders that can cause so much harm to a community is better losing
the people that protect us. According to statistics by the FBI, the Albuquerque area ranks as one
of the most dangerous places in the country (Wilham). In 2012, for every 100,000 people in
Albuquerque, the number that committed violent crimes was 418.2 (see fig. 1). This may not
seem like a large number, but compared to the 214 out of 100,000 of the national average, it
speaks volumes. Also in 2012 in Albuquerque, there were 7.4 people who were murdered per
100,000, whereas the national average was at 4.7 murders for 100,000. With the amount of
criminals in the Albuquerque area, the police have very different circumstances compared to
many other cities. This means that officers are put in situations where they have no back up if the
situation goes south. It also means that officers are working extremely hard on many different
tasks and there are fewer officers to handle it. (Crime Rate in Albuquerque, New Mexico).

This figure shows the violent crime rate in

Albuquerque. It shows that in 2012, the rate was well above national average. (Crime Rate in
Albuquerque, New Mexico).

Protecting the Public

As stated throughout the essay, police do have the right to protect themselves against
those who seem to be posing a threat. In the shooting that occurred last March involving James
Boyd, there was evidence that proved that the officers had the right to shoot. In an article written
by KRQE News 13, it stated that there was proof that Boyd was threatening their lives and also
not obeying police officers orders. Although it has been proven that Boyd had a mental illness, it
does not mean that he is justified for his actions. It shows that Boyd was dangerous and he
should have been in a mental institution or rehabilitation center rather than out on the streets. The
police were the best people to handle this situation. If a family would have been hiking up in the
woods and Boyd would have reacted, it could have caused even more deaths or issues. If the
police felt that they were in danger or the man could have been a danger to others, they had the
power to react (McKee). Albuquerque police may want to train more for dealing with the
mentally ill, but based on the training that the officers did have and the situation escalating, the
police did have the right to shoot James Boyd. Also, with the crime rate in Albuquerque being so
high, it means the streets of the city can be quite dangerous. In order to protect the people of the
city, it is very important that officers control those who break laws. It makes the city safer for
children as well as adults. Although many think that the Albuquerque Police Department is

aggressive when it comes to making arrests and trying to detain law-breaking citizens, others
believe that officers are trying their hardest to help get bad people off the streets and protect
themselves.
Conclusion
To conclude, the police officers in Albuquerque must have the discretion to use force to
not only get their jobs done, but to protect themselves. If police officers are force to secondguess themselves or to worry what happens after they act, many more people can be seriously
injured. Every day, police risk their lives on the job and are the force they use to arrest criminals
is necessary to save their own being. Police officers protect us, while the public criticizes them
for only protecting themselves. Albuquerque has one of the highest crime rates in New Mexico
and police officers have to deal with very dangerous people. Therefore, they should be able to
use necessary force to incarcerate the criminal. Many people dont think about how they would
react if it were their loved ones. Wouldnt you want them to do whatever it took to make it home
to you at night?

Work Cited
"The Right of Self-Defense in New Mexico - Albuquerque Attorneys." The Right of SelfDefense in New Mexico. Ed. Collins. Collins & Collins, P.C, 15 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Jan.
2015.
"Crime Rate in Albuquerque, New Mexico." Crime Rate in Albuquerque, New Mexico (NM):
Murders, Rapes, Assaults. City-Data.com. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
Gillespie, Thomas T., and Darrel G. Hart. "Post-Incident Review." Police Use of Force: A Line
Officer's Guide. Kansas City, Kan.: Varro, 1998. 72-78. Print.
Krayewski, Ed. "Albuquerque Cops Who Killed James Boyd Charged With Murder; Had "Duty"
to Kill Boyd Defense Says."Reason. Reason.com, 12 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
McKee, Chris. "APD: Officer Involved Shooting Was Justified." KRQE News 13. KRQE News
13, 21 Mar. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
Wilham, T.J. "Metro Area One of Most Dangerous." ABQjournal Metro: Metro Area One of
Most Dangerous. Albuquerque Journal, 26 Sept. 2007. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.